TOT HIV/AIDS Project - Local Partner Mobilization in MALAWI

Developing and maintaining good collaboration and relationships with local partners is critical to the program’s success and sustainability. Between July and August 2008, ADRA Malawi ‘s TOT project organized meetings with key collaborators and stakeholders for the TOT project. The key stake holders that were met were: National AIDS Commission (NAC), Ministry of Health (MOH), District Assemblies, community leaders and Health Ministry Directorate for the Malawi Union of the SDA Church.

The main objective of holding these meetings was to brief project stakeholders on the progress the project has registered so far. Other objectives for the meetings were; to brief partners on the role they have played in the project and to encourage them to continue with the support they render to the project.

Dr Nkume, the HMD for SDA Malawi Union, has continuously provided support to the project and pointed out that the Union has plans to empower women groups and other local groups in different areas so that they become self sustained. Another area where the Union is looking forward to benefit in collaboration with this project is the formulation and development of HIV/AIDS policy for SDA institutions. The Union in collaboration with TOT project has already drafted the policy and hopes to work together with TOT project management team to finalise the document.

In another development, TOT project briefing meetings were held at two district assemblies to executive committee meetings for Mulanje and Phalombe districts where some TOTs and 380 counselors have been identified and trained. Their response at these meetings was overwhelming. The District Commissioners for the districts commended ADRA for coming up with this project in their districts which are underserved in the area of HIV/AIDS counseling. They also recommended that the project assist even public institutions to develop HIV/AIDS policy at the work place apart from private institutions. Introduction of these counselors has increased the number of people that go for VCT services in Mulanje and Phalombe districts by 26%.ADRA TOT project has also been commended for promoting voluntary work among the TOTs and counselors. This will enhance sustainability and self reliance amongst community members.

Author: Themba Phiri

Official hand over of Activity Handbook, Mpemba

Let’s Fight HIV/AIDS in Malawi project partnered with three Danish master students to produce an Activity Handbook for Youth Clubs for ADRA Malawi in 2007/2008, using the Youth Club Mpemba as an example for the communication for social change strategy. Friday the 25.th of July 2008 ADRA staff was proud officially to hand over the Handbook to the Mpemba Youth Club.
The Mpemba Youth Club is under Mpemba Chiyambi CBO. The Mpemba Chiyambi CBO was informed of the official hand over of the Activity Handbook and a member of the committee received a copy after the Danish students left. The members of Mpemba Youth Club were very happy to have been taught the strategy as well as receiving the final copy of the Activity Handbook full of pictures and memories.

The Activity Handbook made by Mette Grøndal Hansen, Lise Grauenkær Jensen and Stine Kromann-Larsen can be used in Youth Clubs, communities, groups etc. wanting to use the communication for social change strategy. The Activity Handbook gives a pedagogical step-by-step approach to the strategy, e.g. vision identification, how to take action and how to monitor and evaluate, while giving many examples from the Mpemba Youth club and their specific activities.

If you have further questions or would like to require a copy (free of charge if for teaching purposes), please contact adra@adra.dk.

Author: Sidsel Faurholt

A case of child abuse

Ziwani Ziyendani (not his real name) is 14 years old and has been a victim of child abuse since the death of both parents. ADRA Malawi Community Workers have helped him to report the abuse to the District Social Welfare Office.

Ziwani Ziyendani moved from ill-treating aunt
Ziwani Ziyendani lives in Chikumbu, Mulanje District, and lost both parents in 1998. When he was orphaned he came to live with an aunt, who was treating him ill. This matter came to the awareness of the wife of village Headman Malota, who has a keen interest in the affairs on the orphans in the village. She rescued Ziwani Ziyendani from his aunt and brought him to his cousins.

Driven out of school by abusive family
Ziwani Ziyendani has lived three years at his cousins’ place, but here the abuse only continued. Ziwani Ziyendani was against his will forced out of school. He was in standard 6 at Mithande Primary School. Ziwani Ziyendani was so interested in continuing his education that he attended classes even though he was told to stay out of school. He was discouraged when the family sold his goats he got from the Oxfam’s Income Generating Activity programme and when they tore all his note books apart to make him stay out of school. The family got their will and Ziwani Ziyendani has been out of school since.

Ziwani Ziyendani reported the abuse with help from ADRA
The wife of village Headman Malota became aware of the abuse and reported it to the chief who is yet to intervene. Ziwani Ziyendani also reported the abuse to one of ADRA’s Community Workers, who has been talking with the Headman concerning the issue. So far psychological support has been rendered. The District Social Welfare Office is the highest level in the District which looks after the welfare of children and women and turning in a report takes willpower and courage. ADRA has helped Ziwani Ziyendani to report the abuse to the District Welfare Office by empowering him and giving support. Now Ziwani Ziyendani’s rights and welfare are in focus and the abuse will be stopped.

Authors: Elizabeth Kantukule, Sidsel Faurholt

Meliya Story

Meliya Lupiya a widow aged 56 from Ngolowera village has been struggling taking care of her family comprising of seven members of whom 5 are orphaned grand children. Life has been unbearable due to lack of basic needs like food, potable water, clothes just to mention a few. Being illiterate it has been hard for her to get a job. Women empowerment is targeting women like Meliya to improve her household for the better. Being involved in trainings and various activities she has all smiles to own a beautiful vegetable garden, this is helping her to meet nutrition needs and income for the household basic needs after selling some vegetables. She has enrolled for adult literacy class, therefore she encourages her family members to attend school. Her 5 orphaned grand children. are amongst those benefiting from the drilled borehole at Ngolowera Primary School. courtesy of ADRA Women Empowerment Project (WEP). She has also been a beneficiary of donated goats. The manure collected help improve her garden. Life has her improved for the better through involvement in Women Empowerment Initiatives. Bellow are pictures Meliya and her family, vegetable garden and a goat. “ I am very grateful for this project, it has empowered my life. We will continue with this work even if the project phases out. Thanks to Sweden and ADRA Malawi for the parternership God bless.”

Author: Andiyesa Mhango

Happy and free - ‘NANYONI’

Nasiyani Kadyampakeni is a female headed house holder who lives at Njolomole village. She is 52 living with her 16year old daughter and 7 year old grand son depend on her for their survival. Nanyoni relies on subsistence farming for her livelihood. Looking upon her low social status she decided to join the Community Home Based Care in June, 2007 so as to seek company.
Despite a number of problems that she come across to provide for her family especially to work for the education needs of her children she is dedicated to lend a voluntary hand with dedication in the CHBC committee. Her dream has always been to have livestock yet she fails to save enough for that due to big responsibility.
When the SAFARI project introduced poultry pass on program she was among the first to benefit from the first batch. She received 7 birds. With excitement to a dream come true she employed all her efforts with skill imparted to her during poultry management training by lead farmers to take extra care for the birds. She built a poultry house from simple available materials as was trained. She processed the remains of her soy bean milk with some maize bran to feed the chicken. Sometimes when she doesn’t have feed she just let the birds out of house to pick some little things in her compound. At times when she is stranded she just fetch green grass to feed the birds. Today she expresses her joy because the chicken have started laying eggs and she is rest assured that when the eggs hatch and she pays back 10 birds to the KU she will embark into a hot poultry business. As of now she is an admirable woman in the village that the members of the community are coming to learn from her how she has manage d to care for the birds which were only 3 weeks old on delivery.
Nasiyani is no longer seeking for company as before but rather people are seeking to befriend her so they can learn much from her.
Author: Francis Zande ( SAFARI Project Manager in Malawi)

Promotion of Irrigation farming to improve household food security

The 2007/2008 growing season has been another year of drought in most parts of the country. The season started with very heavy rains, that saw some parts of the country flooding and washing away some of the crops that were in the fields. This was immediately followed by a dry spell, at a time when most of the crops like maize had just started cobbing but had not yet reached maturity stage. As a result most of the staple crop dried up in the field such that the harvest for this year has been low, compared to last season.

To address this problem, the IHFS project is promoting winter cropping through irrigation for farmers who have access to water sources like rivers and dams. The project has distributed 50 treadle pumps to Village Support Groups (VSG). The treadle pumps are being used for both communal and individual gardens. Farmers have been trained in treadle pump use, soil and water conservation and irrigation farming. A recent monitoring trip to on of the project target areas in Lisungwi, Neneo District showed that farmers who are practicing irrigation farming have healthy crop and will have another round of harvest this year as a buffer against food shortages. The project intends to scale up irrigation farming and winter cropping but also include an element of agribusiness so that these farmers can generate income from the crop they produce, hence be able to access food through out the year.

Author: Thokozani Mwapasa

Village Support Group establishes a Community Seed Bank

The IHFS project has been distributing improved varieties of seed such as maize, groundnuts, pigeon peas, soya, cassava and sweet potatoes. This initative is meant to assist groups of 50 targeted poor and vulnerable households, to access a variety of improved crops to increase production and food security.

This year members of Mulunguzi VSG in Nkando, Mulanje have organized themselves to have a seed revolving and solidarity chain so that they continue to share the seed among themselves, even after the project phases out. This is a positive sign towards sustainability and independence of the group. Instead of them waiting to be supplied with more seed next year, the group members have agreed to pay back 2 kgs of each of the seed that was received. The seed is kept in an improved granary. The project has trained the group in post harvest handling and crop storage. This seed will be distributed to other members of the group who may not have harvested enough this year to be able to store enough seed. Excess seed after re-distributing among the members of the group will go to other equally poor households in the community that are not in the group. This is a multiplier effect for the project, because the seed that was meant for the group of 50 will not reach others outside of this group, such that the improved crop varieties that are being promoted will spread within the community. The project is promoting this initiative for other group to emulate this example.

Author: Thokozani Mwapasa